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Targeting the Ticket: Episode 2
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Welcome to Episode 2 of Targeting the Ticket, our series covering the Golden Trail National Series in 2025. In this episode we get Donna Double recaps from Bridget Lunn, Nathan Pearce and Toby Lang, who all finished on the podium in some big course PBs! Hear how the men’s and women’s races panned out at the front, from the tactics, nutrition, falls and everything in between.
Thanks for joining us on Peak Pursuits! Connect with us on Instagram @peakpursuits.pod and share your thoughts, questions, or your own trail stories. Until next time, keep hitting the trails and chasing those peak pursuits!
Sim: @theflyingbrick_
Nathan: @nathanpearce_
Bridget: @bridget_lunn
Toby: @lang.toby
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/moire/new-life
License code: VJ9EPZM2AQUSWRXL
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Transcript
Introduction to the Golden Trail National Series
00:00:33
Speaker
series that is following the Golden Trail National Series for Australia throughout until the final in the end of at the end of June in Brisbane. And we just had the first race down go down at Donna Double at Walburton Trail Fest. Everyone that's listened to the main podcast, which went live today as we're recording.
00:00:53
Speaker
um A few days before this, we'll have already heard Vlad and myself go through our races and how it went down for us, but we picked our panel for this ah this this series real well because we have three podium getters on the episode we have Bridget Lunn she was second in the female and took a mammoth 22 minutes off her time from last year which Bridget absolute hands down to you that was pretty damn cool to watch like such a good run well done thank you and we have second place from the men Nathan Pierce who's just coming back off an injury says he's unfit I don't believe it because that was a pretty good run well done Nate how we feeling
00:01:37
Speaker
Yeah, not too bad. I just got back from my first run after and yeah, the quads are quite tender. So it's going to be interesting... I'm surprised you're already running. Yeah, I know.
Post-Race Recovery Insights
00:01:48
Speaker
Awesome. And then not far behind him, just a minute back and we'll get to hear how that played out as we go through the recap.
00:01:55
Speaker
We have Toby Lang who was in third. How are we doing, Toby? ah Pretty good. Still struggling to walk downstairs, but also tried running today and that was... ah got through it.
00:02:07
Speaker
Yeah, look, to be fair, I'm the crazy one that did the night run straight after, but that's before the doms kick in. So in my books, it's not so bad. um I definitely wasn't going to run today. So you guys respect.
00:02:19
Speaker
um Elliptical was was my um torture method of choice to get moving. but um But yeah, Bridget, did you get out for a run today or how your quads feeling? um No, I've given myself two full rest days and I'll go for a run tomorrow. But, yeah, going downstairs was a bit tricky.
00:02:38
Speaker
It's always, for me, it's this it's today actually that's the worst, like two days after, um suppose. Yeah, I did run a little yesterday in the Lilo Derby. Highly recommend that. You end up just ah icing the legs for a little while if you do it.
00:02:49
Speaker
Yeah. it It's a good way to move without feeling too texting.
Nathan Pierce's Race Strategy and Challenges
00:02:54
Speaker
But all that aside, Nath, I'm going throw to you first because i want to hear, and Toby I know would have had side of you for a lot of the climb, but you were the one in front for most of it.
00:03:05
Speaker
um And i you had a big gap ah ahead of you to, I should say, Michael Kernaghan, absolute strength of the field on this run, and he got the win by margin, um and he was incredibly strong on the climb.
00:03:19
Speaker
so How'd it play out for you, Nathan? When did you lose sight of Michael? Yeah, so it didn't get out as hot as I thought it would. I sort of got out and sort of took the lead ah around the footy ground there and no one really wanted to go. So I just was like, oh, I'm not complaining about this. This will be a nice little warm-up. But Vlad sort of took the reins across that bridge and then onto the other side of the river and I just sort of followed him through. And I think you were behind me, Toby, um along the river there. so Yeah, just keeping trying to keep up with you guys.
00:03:54
Speaker
Yeah, so we're moving at a pretty pretty quick um pace. I think it was like I looked down at one point of that three thirty five um But you just don't want to sort of get too heavy-legged so heavylegged before that road hill. So I was just trying to keep the the heart rate down. Yeah.
00:04:14
Speaker
yeah, just keep it quite easy. And then we hit that road and a few people sort of jostled to the back and a few people jostled to the front and one of them was Koerners and Yeah, what a climb.
00:04:27
Speaker
He just... Oh, man, that was rapid. He's pretty powerful. now And just off reports from last year, I just sort of didn't let it get to me too much because I was like, oh, you might come back to me on the descent.
00:04:43
Speaker
We just never know. so um Yeah, at the top of the road climb, i was I think I was sitting in second and then my ah water bottle or my flask fell out. So I had to go back, pick that up. And by the time I turned back, I think I was back in sixth place. So just sort of had to enter single file and worked my way back past a few guys um back in second. ah I could see kerners, I reckon, for a good K or so. Yep.
00:05:15
Speaker
Just sort of where that, oh, some of the listeners probably won't know what I'm talking about, but that tree that you sort of hairpin around. Yep, another one. And then that's the start the real gruelling, grunty stuff. And when it sort of straightened out, I couldn't see him anymore. was like, hmm.
00:05:31
Speaker
That's bit of a worrying sign. Off he goes. It was the strongest I've run that climb as well, so which is pretty phenomenal. Yeah, I noticed that. Think about it. like I i didn't ah think I stopped to hike for two or three steps the whole climb, so I was pretty pretty happy with it. But the one thing that sort of lacked was...
00:05:52
Speaker
Once those sort of flatter sections or false flat sections came in, I just couldn't get into that fifth gear, which I usually am able to do. So I think that's just due to having a bit of a um bumpy start to the year, but hopefully good signs that I was was pretty powerful on those um steep sections. So From there, it was I just sort of was thinking, just think about the moment and don't think too far ahead. So we crossed over the road and got to the top and no snakes, luckily.
00:06:24
Speaker
was in the back of the line, but I knew that there was a lot of runners ahead that would have scoured away. so ah Well, you would have passed most of the slow, like the slow wave that started earlier, though. Like by the top, you would have passed almost all of them, surely. Yeah.
00:06:40
Speaker
Yeah, you pass ah lot of them, but then you do pass some that are coming back down. So you're sort of overtaking, which makes it really interesting when you're overtaking yeah yeah some of the the second wave people coming through and you sort of... yep you're looking down they're looking down and yeah it's pretty hard to coordinate but yeah it was um it was a nice surprise getting towards the top there with that um the cheer squad um one in the the hill which was yeah felt real euro style um which was yeah it was awesome to have because we don't have much of that in um these aussie races so got to the top and yeah you get tell told oh
00:07:24
Speaker
he's two minutes ahead, he's he's three minutes ahead and or he's one minute. And it's like I looked at the the results and it was I think he got to the top four minutes quicker. so Yeah, I was going to say four minutes and 15 seconds or so he was up on you.
00:07:39
Speaker
Yeah, so four minutes is ah it's pretty big and jump to try and pull back. Yeah. You just never know with trail running. Like you're always one corner or away from maybe seeing someone.
00:07:51
Speaker
and So i was sort of descending and, yeah, just trying to navigate some of those second wave runners. and um But, yeah, the the legs were starting to sort of feel it on this descent.
00:08:02
Speaker
Yeah. pretty heavily. Yeah, Vlad passed you at some point on the descent? he passed me at the watered tanks just as the that fire road starts and oh yep ran together side by side down to the cross the road and I just sort of let him go ahead because I knew he's pretty good at that techy descent stuff and...
00:08:20
Speaker
um i was I was holding on to him and um and I just heard ah a bit of a grunt um around the corner and next minute he sort of pulled up and um yeah rolled his ankle, which was unfortunate because yeah he was moving real well and when he passed me he was hardly breathing. so he would have um He would have almost, I reckon he could have given Kerners a bit of a nudge if he got his flow in down that descent. But it's unfortunate. It's the way trail running goes sometimes.
00:08:49
Speaker
But I um i was battled a trial yeah exactly i was battling a bit of a hot spot on the back of my heel or the ball on my heel. And yeah. Yeah, it turned out to be a pretty, pretty gnarly. I going say, I've heard stories of this hot spot. That's much more than a hot spot by the bottom, man.
00:09:08
Speaker
It was about three turns. Yeah, before the race, I adjusted the laces to sort of accompany sort of this steep climb to sort of allow my foot to move a little bit more and get a bit more blood through so that because i sometimes usually get – numb feet on some of these long climbs. so just tried to eliminate that, and um which worked. But, yeah, obviously having that little bit more wriggle room, the blisters started flaring. So, um yeah, that's that's sort of why I didn't run yesterday, actually.
00:09:44
Speaker
i um I was trying to manicure that and get that sorted and soak it and clean it. but um But, yeah, not other than that, descent I wasn't too happy with. Carves started cramping by the end. and Carves on the descent?
00:09:58
Speaker
Interesting. Well, it was when I sort of took a wrong turn for a quick second, turned back up the climb, both calves just went. How did you manage this? So i ran there late or I think mid-November and there was a few fallen trees and I reckon it was one of those trails that people just decide to go, said ah let's not move the tree, let's just walk around the tree. And it was one of those. Yep.
00:10:25
Speaker
And I just turned and sharp sort of turned up the hill with left cuff, just went, hmm. We're here. But I think that's just due to not sort of getting a couple of more long runs under the and the legs. So there was a bit of fatigue setting in there and got down to the river and looked back over the bridge and there was Toby ah looming.
00:10:49
Speaker
you think he must have at that point been 50 metres or so back? Like that bridge isn't long. It's not long, but I'll probably give it about 100, 150. Okay. But I think where my strong suit is is flat running. The finish. Yeah, i was going to say.
00:11:05
Speaker
The road. So I think I was wearing and tearing but got through to the finish line pretty strong. so yeah But, yeah, i was I was worried there for a second that Toby was going to pit me on the line.
00:11:19
Speaker
Interestingly, you had worry at all. yeah At that point, i was I even walked a little bit of that flat stuff at the end. was just so far out of it. My legs were just jelly.
00:11:30
Speaker
I did not see you at all. Oh, goodness. That's good. Good tonight. um Interestingly, you ended up almost exactly the same to the second behind Kerners at the bottom.
Strategic Decisions and Early Points Advantage
00:11:41
Speaker
Yeah. So you two just steady Eddie, like with the exact same. By the bottom, it would have come and gone at different points depending on the terrain, of course, but at the same time. It's like I don't think it's actually that often that that would happen, um exact same splits. Yeah.
00:11:55
Speaker
difference top and up and down. um Just means that, yeah, it was all the climb that Kern's got the win with. So, because, yeah, he was 109.51, which is already a couple of minutes faster than he did last year as well.
00:12:07
Speaker
So he was stronger than last year too, which he was already had the crown to the summit. Yeah. and then you know i looked at it and i I think I was like third or fourth.
00:12:18
Speaker
You're third now. um yeah Max Taylor was um just one ahead. like Because Kerners had the fastest time to the summit last year but ended up back in about sixth maybe. yeah um And Max Taylor got the win but he was he wasn't actually far behind Kerners and he was a couple of minutes up on your time this year.
00:12:36
Speaker
um in terms of the climb but um yeah overall wasn't I think it was would have been similar you descended again the same which yeah it's like I think that's a great start to the season for you are you overall stoked with that yeah pretty happy um it was sort of a last minute decision like the last time I was on this pod on this podcast was saying that oh yeah you said you weren't even going to do it No, so it was sort of a last-minute decision the weekend before I sort of threw it up. and um Saw the start list and liked your chances?
00:13:09
Speaker
Maybe, maybe. But just probably to bank bank some early points is always an nice. um Yeah. Sort of have a bit of playability in sort of the future races if If I don't go and compete on one of the the other standard um races or if I do, I've still got those points up my sleeve.
00:13:32
Speaker
yeah Yeah, is it six points are first. Yeah, and I'm pretty happy with how it went. Yeah, awesome. Awesome. Well, yeah, it's good to see. I hope your calf does recover fine and that you're all good for this weekend. You get to back it up and I'm not envious so envious of you on that front because, yeah, my legs would be pretty tired trying to race this week, but thankfully it's a bit flatter in Adelaide.
00:13:54
Speaker
Yeah, the the calf actually, yeah, it wasn't even an an issue, the right, because it was the right calf that caused me the issue in January, but it was the left calf that was um wanting to cramp, but that it was the left foot that had that blister, so...
00:14:10
Speaker
those two things could have coincided and meant one thing. So, yeah, it's more more getting this blister sorted for the weekend. Yeah, true, actually. Those can get manky and real bad and actually stop you running for it a little bit until they heal if you are don't look after it. So please be careful.
00:14:28
Speaker
Yeah, i've been I've got the death hole and I've been rinsing it. so Good. But, yeah, I think Kerners and... Kerners is coming back over coming over to Adelaide to compete. Easy.
00:14:39
Speaker
Damn. Interesting. And with Fraser as well, I'm sure it will go out pretty pretty hot. so Yeah, definitely. I think 400 metres over 14K, so it's pretty flat running in terms of a mountain course. Yeah, in comparison.
00:14:57
Speaker
Yeah, um that's interesting because we don't have Kerners on the start list that we had and they've just done the preview and they probably wouldn't have included him if he's not on the one list we got. So that's an interesting spanner in the works.
00:15:09
Speaker
um That's an episode that's actually coming out this week too. So um add at a ah big strength in Michael Kernahan to that list. Fun times. Now, someone that was... you Interestingly, I do love this that at the summit, there was also about a minute between you two and there was about a
Toby Lang's Race Experience and Strategies
00:15:26
Speaker
minute at the finish line. But Toby, by the sounds of it, you caught him a little bit on that downhill, just weren't quite aware of that fact.
00:15:32
Speaker
But how did the race pan out for you? a little bit more of the chasing Nathan. You were not far at all behind him when I ran past on the way up. the mountain still and you guys all streamed past um but how are you feeling and how did that pan out for you um well at the start again like it did start out fairly i think fairly slowly um like just out of the you know across that first bridge so i was sort of sitting in third place just behind nathan and vlad and like we're just sort of it kind of felt like we're just jogging along
00:16:07
Speaker
um I wasn't brave enough to, you know, into first place. Like, I didn't think I should be up there at all. Like, um, well we got to work on your confidence then. You ran it. Yeah. But like, I had no idea because last year I came eleventh or something.
00:16:21
Speaker
So I was a first back, but I did not feel like I should be at the front of the field. But anyway, I felt pretty comfortable. and So I was comfortable. I was just sitting with those guys. um,
00:16:32
Speaker
all the way until the road climb. And then, yeah, again, in the road climb, there's just a lot of jostling of positions. We were all just sort of running as a group up that road.
00:16:43
Speaker
And then, yeah, I saw Nathan, you dropped your bottle, went back. I got into the single track before you. And then, yeah, I think a little ways along the single track, I sort of got myself into, jostled into third place again.
00:16:58
Speaker
So there's Nathan, you're in front of me. and I think there was sort of ah bit of a pack just behind me. So as was sort of running up that big, steep section, I was sort of trying to keep Nathan in sight, um like trying not to let him get too far ahead. um And also behind me, i started seeing Vlad separate from the pack.
00:17:19
Speaker
So I ran most of that steep climb with Nathan in front of me, Vlad behind me. And it's just sort of trying to stay roughly evenly between them. Not let, try not to let Vlad catch up to me. Try not to let Nathan get away.
00:17:33
Speaker
yeah um but also not push too hard because I wanted to keep some sort of reserve for the rest of the race. Yep. Smart. Very, very smart on this race. Yeah.
00:17:46
Speaker
Eventually, yeah, you, Nathan, you started getting away. I started losing you around the corners, seeing less and less of you. um And I think at the top road crossing, um everyone was ringing the bells. So sort of using that to gauge where I was.
00:18:02
Speaker
It's always useful. yep Yeah. can count. You heard the bells. And then maybe 100 or 200 meters later, I got to the road. So I was like, okay, that's how far Nathan is in front of me. I feel like you could get a little messed up with that, though, if it was one of the slow wave people.
00:18:15
Speaker
They were really messing with some of the, like, kind of time between people and stuff because you have to take into account that there could be someone else there. Yeah, I was thinking that, but I don't think I'd seen anyone like any of the slow wave people.
00:18:29
Speaker
So I was just sort of assuming. Yeah, fair. Yeah, I used the same thing to hear how far behind me Vlad was. Yeah. But yeah, then I crossed onto that fire trail.
00:18:40
Speaker
And I think at that point, I just wasn't seeing Nathan like anymore. But then Vlad, I think he started really picking it up. So he he overtook me. um He got started getting a lot closer to me on that fire trail. And then he overtook me, I think, at the Mount Victoria summit.
00:18:59
Speaker
Yep. Um, and he started going really fast on that flat stuff. I was trying to stick with him as much as I could, but he also just dropped me there. Um, and so yeah, I was just using the same technique to listen to the bells to try and gauge how far in front he was.
00:19:15
Speaker
And also when passed people were ringing bells, I didn't hear much behind me. So i was pretty sure that I had, you know, a decent gap behind me as it's sitting in fourth place there.
00:19:26
Speaker
Um, yeah, came around, came up that. that um group of people cheering, that was really loud. that that was That gave me a massive boost going like to the final summit. um And then, sort of that flat bit started heading down.
00:19:42
Speaker
um At that point, I sort of made decision. like I knew I was in fourth place, um and then Vlad and Nathan and everyone else was a fair ways in front of me. And I knew that i there wasn't anyone too close behind me. So I was sort of deciding, do I just you know sit here, take it, um play it safe, just sort of cruise down, hopefully keep my position? Or do I like actually start you know trying to chase everyone down the hill?
00:20:08
Speaker
So I was like, okay, I decided was going to start chasing people. Good. I like this. Because is this the way down from the very summit or on the loop already? Like a little down here on the loop. I was sort deciding, this after the loop, so on the flat bit, but before you got that fire trail.
00:20:25
Speaker
So on the sort of flat. Because you were only 24 seconds down on Vlad at the very summit. um Like you weren't far off him at all. You were, yeah, a minute 10 off Nath, but 25 seconds off Vlad. So was he in sight at any point across the top before you got to the fire trail?
00:20:43
Speaker
No, he wasn't in sight. I did hear the bells, like people ring the bells at um that cheer group. So was sort of basing how far behind i was off that. So i knew i was fairly close and everyone else, everyone who was passing, who was still on the way up,
00:21:00
Speaker
they kept saying, yeah, you got this. You can catch him. He's only like this far in front. He was right there. Like I can remember seeing him and then it felt like I turned a corner and I saw you. And I was like, and to be fair, it also felt very similar to that for Nath. But there there was a bigger gap. But to me coming up, it didn't feel like it.
00:21:17
Speaker
um between Nathan and Vlad. But, yeah, it was interesting seeing all that play out because there was a gap behind you after, like, as someone coming up and seeing the field as they were coming down. It was like Koerner's massive gap and then the three of you.
00:21:30
Speaker
And I just was in the back of my head like, oh, the battle's on here. I actually don't know which of these three is going to get to the bottom first um because you were all close enough that it could have been anyone's. Yeah. like, still to me it felt like like I hadn't seen either of them for you know, since we crossed the road. So yeah it sort of felt like to me they were just a long way in front and i was trying to, you know, push hard to try and catch them, but I wasn't, I didn't have very high hopes. um So on the way down, hi decided I'd stop to refill water at the aid station at the road crossing.
00:22:06
Speaker
I was like, okay, I've got to play the safe. Like i need some water. Stop there for 10, 20 seconds, fill up the bottle. then kept going down and not far after the road crossing, that's where I saw Vlad and he was walking. So that must've been where rolled his ankle.
00:22:21
Speaker
um I passed him. i I checked if, I asked if it was okay, but I didn't hear any response. So was sort of debating whether to like stop to check or just keep going.
00:22:32
Speaker
um I did see some other people walking up the hill. So i decided, they also asked if he was okay. So I decided, okay, These guys can help him. yeah he seems to be He seems to be fine.
00:22:44
Speaker
And I'm just going to keep going. Yeah. So yeah, then I was just running down the hill. I thought Nathan, I thought you were a long way in front of me there. So I had no idea. Yeah.
00:22:55
Speaker
Yeah, i you there's sections of that once you cross the road where it's steep in a couple of sections and then you get that flat bit and you're like, okay, I'm good, I'm good. And then you hit that real just long grueling and you sort of commit to it.
00:23:12
Speaker
be you got to commit to like 15 minutes of just pounding your quads. And like, yeah if there's any moment you decide to go, I've had enough, you actually, you pull back so quickly. So I was kind of like, let's not do that. But I was being pretty hesitant, especially like, yeah, with the calf.
00:23:31
Speaker
I've rolled both ankles late last year. So i was just like, after seeing Vlad, I was like, let's just not do anything stupid here. yeah, Yeah, you've you' still got to keep that sort of momentum going.
00:23:46
Speaker
um it's yeah I reckon it's more mental than physical doing those steep ascent. Oh, for sure. When you don't know, because like last time I did Warby two years ago, Dave ah yeah dave came flying past me yeah on that steep section and you're unprepared for it. And when someone just comes barreling past you, it's just like, oh, it's very like...
00:24:13
Speaker
So yeah I was just in expecting someone to come past me and ah it would have probably broken. There you go, Toby. You just needed to catch him and he would have been broken.
00:24:26
Speaker
Just that little catch. I will say one thing that I have been focusing on is, especially in these sort of races, is not thinking too far ahead. Always thinking what's happening in that moment because whatever you do in that moment is what's going to set you up towards the end or towards when you think about that sort of future section of the race because especially climb, and I think this is where I was pretty strong in those, the gruelling, steep stuff was,
00:24:55
Speaker
Let's not think about what I'm going to do once I cross the road. Let's just think about what this section is going to be and then that next section. but But in that moment, don't think about that next one too early on.
00:25:09
Speaker
I think I did start doing that towards the top once I crossed the road and I was like, oh, this is where I should be catching kerners. This is where I should be. and And I think my mind just sort of slipped away. but Yeah, would yeah.
00:25:23
Speaker
I know you're pretty you're a pretty decent descender, Toby, so was like, yeah, there could be anyone barrelling down this climb at a million miles because we've seen People can do it.
00:25:37
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Well, one of Toby, one of your downhill kilometres, I absolutely love it. It has a 231 gap on it, um which is bloody fast. think it might be a G-fest. ah where but He's doing some weird stuff on the descent.
00:25:52
Speaker
I wouldn't trust that. Claim it. um But, yeah, you can actually you can see sort of where Vlad had a very slow kilometre and must have stopped. But at that point after you'd passed him, were you at all worried that he would rally and catch you or were you did you think he would be done at that point?
00:26:08
Speaker
I wasn't entirely sure. Like I knew he was still walking when I passed him. so Okay. Okay. I knew that it wasn't, you know, completely... He's sitting on the side of the trail looking like he's given up at that point. Really?
00:26:20
Speaker
Yeah. then yeah um So like I knew that was possible, but I think... I didn't know what had happened to him. So I think if there's something that's happened and then he started walking, then he's probably not going to be in the race anymore.
00:26:31
Speaker
Yeah. So I was thinking, like, maybe he's going to pull out. Maybe he's going to like, just jog it in to the finish. Yeah. Yeah, looking at results in the end, he was... He was catching. Yeah, he was catching me. Like if i had known how close he was, I'd have been quite scared. Yeah, like, and I'm just looking because your last two Ks were like 501 and 439. And I think his last two Ks were like 430 and 410.
00:26:55
Speaker
So, had it been another K, he might have actually had you um unexpectedly. um but yeah, it's just always sometimes it's little things like this that I try and i sometimes remember after where, as Nath was saying, in a trail race, you can be one corner away from finding someone at any point and you have no idea what's happening sort of thing.
00:27:18
Speaker
And the number of times I've sort of looked at results and gone, man, if I found a minute, I found five places if it's an overseas race or holy moly, that person was only 10 seconds behind me and I had no idea.
00:27:29
Speaker
Like, yeah, I think that's the, because if I have no doubt that on that last flat section, had you known Vlad was catching you, you would have actually been able to run ah little faster.
00:27:40
Speaker
Like your body, your mind your mind takes over a little bit at that point if you know someone's there. But yeah, sometimes we get the whole, you just get comfy going, I don't think they're there and therefore I can jog this slowly.
00:27:52
Speaker
So did you ever look back to actually check or no? um I looked back a few times to um just like make sure there was no one too close, but it's kind of hard because there's all the people from the other races who are also coming down the tra to the end. So it's kind of hard to tell, yeah there's just a lot of people behind me.
00:28:10
Speaker
Like maybe one of the people in the crowd could have been Vlad, but I don't recognize them. But just at the end, my legs just felt like jelly. And I feel like on the descent, I sort of worked myself into a nice rhythm.
00:28:24
Speaker
But then once I hit that last little uphill to get to the road and then down into the flat stuff, yeah something about that just completely threw my rhythm. How much does it take it out, that little climb?
00:28:36
Speaker
Yeah. Like I just felt like I could not run. i had to walk a little bit on the flat bit along the river. But maybe if I'd sort seen Nathan right in front of me across the bridge, or maybe I've seen Vlad behind me, i would have been able to keep going. but I have no doubt you would. Your brain does things at that point.
00:28:52
Speaker
when you When it sees a race and you're that close to the finish, your brain does things. um Yeah. Unless you're actually like heat stroke cooked or dehydrated, but nah, like we like a little comfort at that point when our legs are cooked.
00:29:04
Speaker
So you look for it. But no, you took 10 minutes off of your time from last year, which in itself, like you already had a reasonably quick time last year. And then to run 154,
00:29:16
Speaker
this year like that that's a huge improvement in one year which I suppose makes sense you're young yeah you're you're gonna be improving by a lot every year which is awesome to see but did you expect to take that much time off um not that much time off um when I did my recce of the course probably a little over a month before the actual race.
00:29:35
Speaker
I did end up doing the same time as my previous race last year. So I knew that, know, my fitness has improved a bit. It'd be interesting to see how much I could take off that time.
00:29:46
Speaker
But 10 minutes of that time in one year, I was not expecting that at all. And to be anywhere near the front of the pack, like I was not expecting that at all.
00:29:57
Speaker
It's great. It's absolutely great. I love it. So it's a great start for you this for the season too because, yeah, the points-wise, it puts you only – like it's 12 points off first, which is not a huge amount, um as we've already discussed a little bit off air, just the fact that the final's worth triple points. So it's almost all on the final. You've just got to post a couple of good results throughout.
00:30:19
Speaker
And you've got one under the belt. So, um yeah, yeah how how does it feel to sort of start it off with that way? I'm really happy. how was like, I was not expecting it anywhere, anything like that.
00:30:31
Speaker
I'm really happy with that race. Which I suppose on another note, um because we had to add the edit to last year, we last um the last episode of this with the fact that there is now no under 23 ticket, separate ticket for you to go for.
00:30:45
Speaker
But you can still go for the overall and you just proved with that race that your name is in that hat, at least in my books. Like you're right up there. You're 12th or first at the moment. Anything can happen both of the next three races.
00:30:58
Speaker
um But does that change how you think about the season at all? There is still separate prize money that is great for the under-23s, so there's still a prize there. that um like But to go for the overall, you can rank up the under-23 prize in the process.
00:31:12
Speaker
But does that change your thoughts at all? um like i'm still gonna go for the under 23 like prize in the end i think even though there's no golden ticket um but also i think now i'm gonna focus more on um like just the overall rankings like don't think i'm gonna get the golden ticket i'm not okay you can try man there's all you can do is try i'll do my maybe for my watch Nath is going to put a battle up for you. But at the same time, hey, like, as we've already just already discovered, anything can happen on these trails.
00:31:48
Speaker
So it it adds a whole other element that the road and the track, they they just don't quite have because there's a lot more you have to put together in any one race, let alone three or four races. ah But are you doing Kunanyu, Toby, are you not doing Kunanyu?
00:32:02
Speaker
Yeah, i'll I'll be there. Oh, great. Okay. I think these first two races seem to suit me quite a lot. Like i so I like the big long climbs and then big long descents. So I think yeah these first two races would be best for me.
00:32:13
Speaker
Yeah. Good, good, good, good. Fair call. um And you did get out for a run today. The quads are feeling it. Yep. um i think I'm probably over the peak. So it's starting to get better now, but yeah still it was quite ah slow, quite a painful jog.
00:32:29
Speaker
Don't need the old person handle to get down to the toilet anymore. I probably did for a few few good hours there. I still need the handrails to get downstairs. oh Yeah, ah it's something about this course. Also, I think just bit being the first race of the season, I find as the season goes on and like I expect to be nowhere near a sore after Kunun-Yu just for the fact that you've already had this stimulus. But yeah, it's an interesting battle.
00:32:53
Speaker
And yeah, Bridget, you got any questions for the guys on the men's side before we jump into our race? ah All right, now some might come up after I give my spiel, I guess.
00:33:05
Speaker
Yep. Easy, easy. Well, yeah, on the women's front, it was in some ways closer, definitely at the summit between the top two. And the battle was just as good. We had a, I love, Toby, where you were describing everyone running up the the road together. Yeah.
00:33:21
Speaker
I loved having our pack of women getting up that road, Bridget. That was a real cool feeling because you don't often get that on Aussie soil where there was a group of like five of us tracking up that road like neck and neck pretty much and with not much separating.
00:33:33
Speaker
So that was cool experience. But, yeah, run us through the race from the start for you and how you pulled off such a big PB in one year. Yeah. Um, yeah, I guess my, I didn't have much of a plan going in. Um, I don't have much trail experience, but I just wanted to be following someone. Like I wasn't going to take the lead like I did in Brisbane because that maybe wasn't the smartest move, but, um, yeah, on that, that road climb,
00:34:00
Speaker
Mia took the lead and I was like, oh, okay, I'll just go follow her um and then head up the single track. um I could see Mia for pretty much the whole climb, like just at the edge of the trail ahead of me.
00:34:14
Speaker
um and then I'd look back and I could sometimes just see you behind me. um And I noticed something really interesting. ah The three of us have completely different like uphill running styles. Oh, we do Yep. It's so interesting. noticed that.
00:34:28
Speaker
like Like seeing you behind me, like you you have quite like an aggressive, like lean right forward, hands on the knees, like powering up the hill. And then me, I mean, maybe I just don't know what I'm doing, but I, like, just swing my arms as much as I can and just, like, more upright.
00:34:44
Speaker
Some guy who i like, a hiker that I overtook was like, oh, good arm swing. And I was like, yeah. And then Mia running ahead. She was running the whole time.
00:34:54
Speaker
yeah I did not see her stop to hike at all. um But, yeah, I kept doing my sights most of the way. um i lost her at the... the road crossing at the top of the climb.
00:35:06
Speaker
Yeah. Um, I, yeah, I felt surprisingly good on the climb. Like, and don't know. i don't know if this came off in the last, um, podcast, but i was a little bit apprehensive going into this race. Cause I didn't really enjoy it last time. Cause it's so hard, but actually had a lot of fun. Yeah.
00:35:21
Speaker
Yeah. i Felt pretty strong. Um, yeah. And then once we got up, um, up to that first summit and then we go along that real um sort of flat rolling hill single track section.
00:35:34
Speaker
um I managed to catch back up to Mia, like I was right behind her and then we hit like a tiny hill um sort of just before that the intersection and where you do the loop around the tower and my legs just ah yeah refuse to go up hills anymore like they would not let me I just watched that run away that is a brutal little climb that one that is a brutal little one just watched run away as I was just walking up the hills again um got up to the
00:36:07
Speaker
The aid station went through that little um cheering tunnel, which was pretty nice, and they're like, oh, she's only two minutes ahead. um I don't know how far ahead she actually was. She was only a minute 40 ahead.
00:36:18
Speaker
Oh, okay. Okay. So that was pretty much all done on that little loop. So that's, yeah. Which in some ways makes sense because a good portion of that little loop was downhill and she put a lot of time in on the down.
00:36:29
Speaker
So that does make a little bit of sense where essentially you were climbing equivalent, but then she was putting time in on the downhills because, yeah, she had some brilliant downhill on the day. Yeah, absolutely. You guys were close at the summit. was an 28.30 and you were an hour 30.11.
00:36:49
Speaker
Not far at all. Yeah, cool. Yeah. No, I was just having a good time, honestly. Good. I really loved, um yeah, like that flat-ish single track on the top. I felt like I was flying. I probably wasn't even going that fast. but Yeah, could be moving.
00:37:06
Speaker
Yeah, when we we got to that aid station, I think that might have been the last point where I actually ate anything and that might have made me come undone a little bit by the end. Yeah, yeah.
00:37:19
Speaker
I only had one gel on course and one beforehand so and then, like, one bowl of tailwind. um I filled it back up at the station, but don't think I drank any of it on the way down just because it was so, like, technical and hard. So, yeah, I tried to, like, send it down there, catch back up to her, did not see her again.
00:37:38
Speaker
um And then coming back down the really steep downhill again, um i just – it was really good until, like, probably – maybe halfway down or like one third to go.
00:37:50
Speaker
And so yeah, my legs were just, I think I was just starting to bonk. I like had a few stumbles and like managed to catch myself each time and then ended up like fully stacking and like banging my knee on something.
00:38:03
Speaker
um that's inevitable and yeah same thing happened last year as well um rolled my ankle another time i was like I just want to get off this hill and then you finally get off it and I was like oh my legs don't work anymore and that was a real struggle to get to the finish line um that really steep uh like paved road that is so hard going back down because you're going so fast and you actually need a lot of energy to like stabilize yourself and not just even though it's wide open road it's not even single track oh yeah i found that really hard it's the it's the last killer on the quads too yeah it's probably the worst part of the course because you just up and down if you ask me
00:38:47
Speaker
right Up and down, if you ask me. It's the road. you You go through the frustration of that single track and you finally come out and then you have to do that dinky old little rise up to the road.
00:38:59
Speaker
um was going to say that's the worst part of the whole course for me, that little road rise off the trail, off the single track. That is the course. While we're on the topic, you know that single track that you do climb up to the road?
00:39:12
Speaker
Yeah. Did everyone else find that newly laid? Horrible. Horrible. now here's Yeah. Down and then two stuff going up. It was. No, they've redone the trail. So for context for people from last year to this year, like sometime in the last year, they've graveled over what was a nice dirt track.
00:39:31
Speaker
I understand why they did because it was pretty manky at the bottom in the very bottom because of water and that sort of thing. So there's. like bridges and grates over where it was watery and they've kind of graveled and added stairs where there was like really nice leafy trail for the most of it and going down it was just you couldn't turn corners because you're just slipping on the gravel and then even going up you were s slipping as you were trying to get up i walked up that damn thing like i just tried was like i'm done we're not doing this today this thing is horrible we're done today like just get me to the top of this And yeah, that that's part where you're talking about um Bridget, that that little section of the rise on the road. I told myself, get off the single track and then you can run again.
00:40:10
Speaker
Got off the single track and no, no, that plans out the window. We're walking until this is actually going downhill. i was walking. Oh yeah, that fun little section. And then how'd you find the the flat run into the finish?
00:40:24
Speaker
Knowing you were in second and you'd pulled off such a great run, like, did that help at all? Like, you were in second, you were knowing you were getting I just assumed you were right behind me. No, no way. Yeah, no, it was it was really hard.
00:40:38
Speaker
but I didn't quite know how far it was, even though I jogged it. That little river loop is sort of my shakeout run the day before. i got there and I was like, oh, just it just seems so much further than it seems, like,
00:40:49
Speaker
Yeah, my legs were bonked, they wouldn't
Bridget Lunn's Race Approach and Personal Best
00:40:51
Speaker
move. i Yeah, I seriously considered walking, but no, um managed to keep it together just and then had a really big, long sit down at the end. You did good. you did You did very, very good. So for the final results, you came in just, I think Mia, obviously, she actually had an epic downhill for the day. So she actually put sort of, she was six and a half minutes or seven minutes, seven and a half, geez, ahead in the end. um Yeah, she was flying down that hill.
00:41:23
Speaker
Yeah, she definitely did fly um ahead. And so you were, yeah, 2.18.49, which after two hours 40 last year is pretty bloody good because that would have put you third last year too. So on the podium last year, which is bloody cool because, yeah, that's what this is all about, improving. You're youre fresh on the trails.
00:41:40
Speaker
And then, yeah, you didn't need to worry about me. I was still, I did put a couple of minutes into you in the descent. It was, I looked at it on the segment. It was all in that three case technical stuff. um It was, that was the only time I was making up time on you. Don't you worry. um Yeah. Cause I was still another four minutes back.
00:41:57
Speaker
by the end, um knowing that third was my position for that day. But i did I also did notice on the climb, like I was kind of hoping, I was always planning to sort of follow you and Mia up. um I was trusting that you're you've gone, you've come leaps and strides since last year as well and I knew that you can climb and you were put in that effort. And so I, as you said, like I could see you for a good portion of it. I kept thinking I could see Mia at times, but I was like I have no idea if that's her or not.
00:42:24
Speaker
Yeah. but um But, yeah, I was definitely like I was hiking watching you running at times and I'm like, it's all good. I'm hiking at the same pace. We don't need to run this section. yeah that's what I was thinking watching Mia running. i was like, I'm actually hiking at, yeah, about the same pace. So this is pretty good.
00:42:40
Speaker
100% uphill is all about what's most efficient for you. Like if you're most efficient running, by all means run. If you're not most efficient running and you can hike at the same pace, like whatever's going to keep your heart rate lower is going to get you to the top faster.
00:42:53
Speaker
And i know that i'm I'm a much more efficient hiker than runner up a long climb. Short climb, I'm going to try to run up that thing. Brisbane, I was trying to run up everything. This sort of one, I actually hike really early. Like I was probably the first one to start hiking up Marta, but then I'm hiking but but beside everyone else running, going, yeah, this is fine. Like I don't need to run at this point.
00:43:14
Speaker
um But no, I would have lost sight of you a couple of Ks, I think, even before the aid station, like four, three, four Ks. And then Wasn't ever going to see you again. I was in my own little struggle battle back there.
00:43:27
Speaker
So I wasn't, must admit, the yeah, I wasn't quite in thinking at all at the top there of anything other than staring at my feet and praying I didn't see a snake. um So, yeah, it wasn't a fun day out on the trails for me, but honestly, absolutely love seeing you blitz it and have such a strong run because, yeah, like you're so fresh on this. and it i don't want to sound old here, but I genuinely was the old one on the podium. I'm like, damn, I'm actually getting on because me is, what, 20? You're 23.
00:43:58
Speaker
Matty O'Donnell, who's right behind me, is 20, think, or 21, and here am, the 30-year-old.
00:44:04
Speaker
And I'm like, oh, it was I was 23 when I won this one back in 2018. So, yeah, it was really cool to see all of you come past. And then because Maddie actually ended up In third took for a little bit. She overtook me while I ah had a bit of a cry and a panic at the summit.
00:44:22
Speaker
um And she got about 30 seconds on me at that point because it shows her actually finishing the summit ah quite a bit before me. um but um But, yeah, I was in the mindset of going on the way down when it comes to sort of chasing. I was like, I'm going to flow down knowing I know how to do this.
00:44:39
Speaker
I trust how to do this. I'm freaking out a little bit, but we can do this. And I was thinking if Bridget comes into sight, I can chase a human I can see, but i'm not going I can't chase. I didn't have the mental capacity to chase someone I couldn't see. So you did a very good job.
00:44:53
Speaker
You stayed out of sight and I was wasn't going to get you at that point. um Not at all. So you absolutely nailed it, woman. But... Thank you. It's an interesting one. i i'm ah i' and i'm kind of um ah I'm kind of sad that we won't be seeing you at Kununye. Obviously, you had the cool announcement of your on the single track trail team, um which congratulations, that's very cool to hear, which means you have to go to Buffalo, which means I don't get to see you at Kununye, which I'm kind of sad about because that was good fun.
00:45:21
Speaker
um But, yeah, how you feeling for that and how are you feeling post-race? Like you're now second on the – like you're only six points behind first in the series. Yes, it's only one race down. Brisbane's obviously the most important in this series, but, yeah, where does it put you mentally thinking about the series ahead and for the year?
Future Race Plans and Mental Toughness
00:45:40
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know. um haven't really had much time to think about all of this. It's just been happening to me. ahead. Obviously, just, like, very busy thinking about med school and then it's just on the weekends. I'm like, oh, yeah, trail running.
00:45:54
Speaker
Yeah. yeah No, I'm um really excited for Brisbane. I think that'll be really fun. um Obviously, really enjoyed it last year and had a good run. um Newcastle, I'm not too sure about. Again, I didn't do so well last year and I don't think I enjoyed it that much, but um maybe I'll make some changes and we'll see what happens this year.
00:46:18
Speaker
I reckon with the speed you've developed, it's a course that could suit you this year. Like you've got a lot more speed and confidence on the trails than last You've just got to mentally put up with the sand. Yeah, I think it's mostly mental because last year Newcastle was only three weeks before Brisbane, as it is this year.
00:46:35
Speaker
um So like my fitness between those two wouldn wouldn't be that much. But yeah, I guess it's just mental and like preparation and things like that. All the other things that come into it, I guess. Yeah, yeah. as Yeah, there's so much. is yeah You definitely need to take an extra gel.
00:46:51
Speaker
yeah Yeah. Yeah, actually, by the sounds of it, not because that was the one thing, because I was going down the hill and I was, even the uphill, like I was moving a lot slower than I wanted to be and expected to be. I actually was amazed at how, I got down like a litre and a half over the race of fluids because I was like, well, it's hot and I can drink because...
00:47:12
Speaker
I may as well keep drinking. I was almost trying to distract myself with drinking. um But, yeah, I got through like 120 grams carbs, 1.5 litres of fluid. And I was like, on the even on the descent as we're going through the technical stuff, I'm like practice drinking on technical descents for sky races. It's like I was trying to do all that stuff. But I actually think, Toby, you're – tactic of stopping. I had, I picked up half leader at the summit and I'd already had um quite a bit on the way up, but your tactic of stopping on the way down, kudos to you because I reckon that can save a lot of races when you make a decision like that.
00:47:43
Speaker
um And that's something like when you were discussing um staying in the moment, Nath, I was thinking, I'm like, oh yeah, that's a good moment decision right there because it's so easy to go. Like even Vlad, um he actually said in the recap, which you guys won't have listened to yet, that he ran past that aid station because he was passing Nathan and he didn't stop, he didn't get any fluids and he was kicking himself not long after for the fact he didn't get fluids.
00:48:08
Speaker
And I was like, yeah, so when you said you stopped and got fluids, I'm like, smart move.
00:48:13
Speaker
Claps for Toby. did you so you didn't So you didn't drink or eat at all, Bridget, down the descent? Yeah, basically nothing since that aid station at the very top. um And like I had it all planned out and i was definitely carrying enough and like had everything available. But for some reason, was just like i like, I can't eat any more sugar. Like it just seems so gross. Yeah, okay. Because that will help. Like as much as you can, yeah I know the descending, it's hard to do.
00:48:39
Speaker
um But the main thing that's working on a descent, I think Nathan was the one that mentioned this. It's so mental. You have to be zoned in and focused. Yeah. And where you make mistakes or where an ankle rolls or you miss a turn or anything along those lines, that's your brain running out of sugar.
00:48:54
Speaker
soon as your brain starts to run out of sugar, you make the worst decisions. You can make wrong turns. You can roll ankles. Like your brain switches off things it doesn't think it needs. um So highly recommend just even in training long runs, like to get myself used to it, I would let myself, and in long runs at times, I would only let myself fuel on descents.
00:49:14
Speaker
Still had to get my quota in per hour, but it had to be on a descent for a while because it's a lot easier, I find, to fuel on going up. Breathing-wise, not easier, but just for the fact you're moving slower, it can be a bit easier to do.
00:49:26
Speaker
So try and make sure you keep up on the descending fueling. Toby, what did you get in for the race? ah so was love some nutri um nutrition wise I had two gels.
00:49:43
Speaker
um I had one on the climb and then one sort of on the flat bit. um And then I also had a one bottle of Staminade and one bottle of just water. so I was sort of sipping on the Staminade all the way up. ah so I think I and finished it um on the flat bit, like when I hit the flat bit.
00:50:01
Speaker
I just, cause I think that's just a lot easier to get in than gels. Um, yeah, probably, probably could have benefited from having another gel or maybe even more stamina, but I don't think I had quite enough.
00:50:16
Speaker
Yeah, going because that's that's not a huge amount overall. um So, yeah, definitely jump on the high carb, guys. that's This is like yeah we and Vlad discussed this quite a lot, but you see all these trail times going down and down and faster and faster, and almost every single one is quite heavily correlated with a really high carb intake.
00:50:34
Speaker
um during the run like some of them i don't know how they do it they're talking like the david roaches are talking 140 grams an hour that stuff is wild to me but even like if you can try and at least like ah i'm always well i used to try and get a lot more in my stomach is limited in not being able to take in fructose right now but um trying to max out what you can do highly recommend because nath how much did you get in i didn't even ask you i don't want to say um oh that was that bad was it I did have my scratch high carb mix on the way, so driving into Warburton, I was sleeping on that. So I had that pre-race and then during the race I pretty much just had AHL and maybe about 300ml water.
00:51:18
Speaker
Oh, my gosh, man. And you expect to recover for a race a week later. Come on. Well, I had another high carb mix in my car, so I had that after the race.
00:51:31
Speaker
and then had recovery stuff. But I'm man. Might have caught Kerners if you had some more fuel in you. Maybe. I don't know. But I'm not like, well, I've never really been one to fuel that much on a run anyway.
00:51:46
Speaker
Like I'll go for a thirty k run without anything sometimes. out It's probably not the smartest idea. but Not smart at all. Trust me. Yeah, i used to do that.
00:51:56
Speaker
The aftermath is not good. I was going to say, like as someone who used to do that and now has experienced what it's like to get through sort of a three-hour run where you get in 300 grams of carbs and go, holy crap, I'm still human. I can function throughout my day and my pace was the same at the end and the start with good energy.
00:52:14
Speaker
Honestly, it's chalk and cheese. it's It feels good when you get your stomach used to it. And then like when my stomach's all going well, which it it isn't always, it's kind of my Achilles heel, but when it's all going well and I can get, I've gotten up to 120 grams an hour in a race and that race I was zipping. Like I was like zooming the whole time going, I've got energy, let's go, let's go, let's go.
00:52:35
Speaker
And that was sort of, Every time I've actually managed to get in higher amounts of carbs, that's the experience I've had and just gone, well, this is what it feels like to not hit a low, then take a gel.
00:52:45
Speaker
And then I get a bit of energy for a while and then I hit a low and then I take a gel. And particularly on descents, I don't actually notice... I really don't notice too much of a speed difference, I will say, but I do notice the feel of the descent and the ability to make decisions on the descent and see the corners and like feel like I'm not just surviving, I'm like flowing down the thing.
00:53:09
Speaker
yeah comes down to how much carbs I've gotten in. Because I think ah even just on the descent alone, I would have got in 60 grams of carbs over that 40 minutes. that it took. um And to me, that's the difference between, yeah, I didn't fall once. It was great.
00:53:26
Speaker
Leaving it off. Well, fair, fair, fair. Although you said you slightly pinged a cough, so, you know, and took a weirdly wrong turn back up a hill you were trying to run down. So not sure your decision-making is great example here of a...
00:53:39
Speaker
your decision-making is a great example here of ah Only having 300ml of water was purely because that flask just kept wanting to bounce out. So I was like, well, if I don't have water. More equipment choice. Yeah.
00:53:54
Speaker
Well, 500ml of water is pretty heavy. Well, my vest has two 250s. You don't feel it because they're both little bottles. Well, we didn't want to go with it because it was hot. just had the shorts with the belt in them.
00:54:09
Speaker
um But because I've got no waist, like any any weight just sort of they just want to come down. so Fair. of I'll get rid of it.
00:54:21
Speaker
fashionly though wow i but Well, I look forward to hearing the improvements in both nutrition and gear choices, maybe over the next few races. ah But next up for Toby, we've got Kunanyu. Next up for Bridget, she's going to be at Buffalo twenty Which one are you doing?
00:54:39
Speaker
Yeah, the 20. 20. That's going to be awesome. Like, yeah, there's just all the races at Buffalo. I'll be sort of racing Kunani and then very quickly trying to check results for Buffalo to see how you all go.
00:54:51
Speaker
um and then Nath this weekend at Mountain Champs, good luck. um And then I'm kind of hoping, I don't know, I'm hoping I see you at Kunani unless anything's bad with the calf.
00:55:02
Speaker
But still, I'm more of the if you're fit and you're able, get it done. You never know what's going to happen before June. I'm in Sydney that whole week, though, for work. So I'm like, yeah, and I'm there till Friday pretty much afternoon. So it's it's a quick turnaround. So that's sort of the that the reasoning behind Warbidden.
00:55:23
Speaker
See if I can get some good points. can get good points, then... I might not need to Kinyoni, even though I love that that mountain run. Yeah, how good is it? It is pretty fun. Bridget, have you you've never done Kinyoni, Bridget?
00:55:37
Speaker
and You weren't there last year, were No, no, but I actually was in Tassie um over the summer just with some friends and I ran up um sort of around the Kinyoni course and it was really pretty.
00:55:49
Speaker
Oh, how good is it? Yeah. Yeah, it'd be great to do the um ah race one day, but yeah, a bit hard to travel to Hobart um to just do a race. Yeah, fair. It is also the longest time-wise out of all the races.
00:56:02
Speaker
um So yeah, it can, depending on strengths and being new to trail and those sorts of things, it can certainly feel like it gets really long. By the time the course record for women is more like two hours 40, not two hours.
00:56:15
Speaker
um it does add a whole nother level in that way of logistics and time and nutrition becomes even more important. But Toby, we'll be seeing you there. you Did you run it last year?
00:56:27
Speaker
Yeah, ran it last year. That was my best race last year. It was my favourite race. I'm really looking forward to it this year. Good. What did you come last year? um Six overall.
00:56:38
Speaker
and be Nice. And it was, yeah, because was it? Yes, that one was nice and stacked. there was Was Brodie in fifth just ahead of you? um I think fourth or fifth, somewhere around there. fifth.
00:56:49
Speaker
and You guys were all pretty close together, though, so that was fun. But um awesome. Well, I'll be seeing you there, and we'll keep following the season. So currently, just ah just for a quick run of the standings, it's literally the standings of the race.
00:57:02
Speaker
Michael Kernaghan's leading the season. Nath is six points behind in second. Toby, another six points behind third. said Vlad Ixel, also from the pod. Geez, the pod's doing well here, guys.
00:57:15
Speaker
um Vlad is in fourth. And then Dave Bailey, who I'm going to say we will definitely see at Kunanyi, being a Tassie local. I've never seen him not race Kunanyi, is in fifth and not far behind. Also, Declan McKenzie, who is racing the season, I believe, in sixth.
00:57:32
Speaker
So considering that there's not a huge drop-off in points and because the points are smaller for these races, it's all still pretty tight.
Current Standings and Series Outlook
00:57:39
Speaker
On the women's front, Mia is absolutely blitzing it, winning both under 23s and the Open currently.
00:57:46
Speaker
Bridget in second, myself in third. Maddie O'Donnell was fourth and she is second under 23. And then Demi Caldwell is yeah in fifth. so And Melanie Townsend, we went to sixth. So Melanie Townsend um came in in sixth, which, yeah, I'll be interested to see. i think from from what I've looked at, maybe Maddie and Demi are also doing the series. So top five sort of definitely doing the whole series. Not sure about Mel Townsend. But, yeah, we've had a good start for the pod. Let's see if we can keep this running, guys, where every single person on this call for the recap is on the podium.
00:58:20
Speaker
Let's just have the – we keep doing that, please. um Obviously, Kunani, there's only two of us there. So, Toby, it's us to up to us. yes We got this. But then we can maybe get a podium at Mountain Champs and Buffalo and we'll be good.
00:58:38
Speaker
Easy done, easy done. Well, that's smack on the hour. Thanks for joining me, guys, and I hope everyone's enjoyed listening to this. I've certainly had fun chatting through with you. And, yeah, we'll speak to you. We'll get another ep out after Mountain Champs just before Kunani to chat through everything and how the recovery and when everyone's quads came back to life went.
00:58:58
Speaker
Awesome. Thanks, guys. We'll speak soon. Thank you.
00:59:33
Speaker
i